The Devil May Wear Prada But This Angel Wears Vintage Prada
Why I buy vintage Prada: a leather bag from the Space outlet in Tuscany, Prada denim, where I hunt online, and what to start with if you are new to it.
The tan leather bag on my bicycle in the photographs further down is Prada. It came from Space, the Prada outlet in Montevarchi, in Tuscany. I took it for a ride through Lucca on a vintage bike, and it still looks the part.
Vintage Prada turns up at the markets too, like the two-tone brogues below, on a stall in Arezzo. The video is about Space, and whether the outlet is cheaper than Prada in Milan.
Vintage Prada
Why buy vintage when the new Prada collections are sitting in the shops? For me, it is about owning something that has already lasted. A piece that was made with care and is still going. To me the old pieces are better made, and the leather is softer.
The hunt takes patience and a good eye. It helps to know the house and what it made when. But when the right handbag, pair of shoes or coat turns up, it belongs to you, and nobody else on the street has it.
In the photograph below I am wearing vintage Prada indigo denim, with embroidery at the hems. I found the denim in Andorra.
The Devil may wear Prada, but this angel wears vintage
Style is not about what is new or what is on trend. It is about what speaks to you. I don’t buy in seasons, because I like to play with my own personal style.
Vintage shopping is not as simple as walking into a boutique and picking from the latest collection. When I am not at the markets I hunt online, on Vestiaire Collective, a platform for preloved luxury. I have not bought Prada there, but I have sold many pieces. Scrolling through page after page of well-kept pieces is almost as good as finding the right one. Almost.
And a vintage piece gets a second life with you. Nothing new has to be made. That is kinder to the planet.
Prada bike style
If you are new to vintage Prada, start with something simple: a classic handbag or a pair of sunglasses. Feel the difference in the quality. My own Prada sunglasses are the 2012 Baroque pair, bought in London and later fitted with optical lenses.
So the next time you are adding to your wardrobe, look back before you look forward. Some things are too good to be left behind.
